Chair and the like



J1me 1936- F. w. CROSSLEY-HOLLAND 2,044,212

CHAIR AND THE LIKE Filed May 18, 1935 a Iv Patented June 16, 1936 i STABAT I i-"1 Engl and

Application May 18, 1935, Serial No. 22,256 In Great Britain May 24,1934 1 Claim.

This invention relates to chairs and the like and has for its object toprovide chairs and the like designed on the basis of anatomicalconsiderations to give the maximum of rest or repose to the body in aseated posture while permitting variation of the position withinrelatively wide limits.

In the seated posture, the thickness of the muscular tissue over theheads of the femurs is relatively small, being somewhere in theneighbourhood of one and a half inches; the average distance between theheads of the femurs in an adult person is in the neighbourhood of fourto five inches.

It is desirable that, whatever position is assumed by the body while ina seated posture, the thrust of the weight of the body shall be takenvertically through the spine and the weight shall be so far as possibleuniformly distributed so that the pressure upon the tissues covering theheads of the femurs shall be equalized.

It is, furthermore, desirable that the backward inclination of the bodyshould be such as to give the maximum relaxation of the erector spinalmuscles, while the height of the seat should be such that, with the feeton the ground, the pressure upon the thighs should be reduced.

According to the invention, the surface of the seat of the chair or thelike is concave and conforms with the internal surface of a cylindersubstantially two feet ten and a half inches in diameter and is definedby a chord of one foot ten inches, while the rearward inclination of theback rest relatively to the horizontal is 110 and, gen erally, theminimum height of the seat from the ground level is sixteen inches.

Normally the chair or the like will be provided with arm rests at aconvenient height, for instance, a height of twenty-three and a halfinches from the ground level so that the arms of the person using theseat rest upon the arm rests, while the heads of both of the femurs willbe supported upon the seat, the line of the spine remaining straight. Inother words, the line of the spine will be positioned radially withrespect to the curvature of the seat.

Preferably, the back rest is somewhat hollow so as to provide points ofsupport for instance for the spine and the ribs or shoulders on eitherside thereof.

Conveniently, in accordance with the invention, the arm rests arearranged to provide tables on either side of the seat and the width ofthe tables is advantageously such that without strain the hand of theperson using the chair can reach to the edge thereof.

Generally, in accordance with the invention, the table portions aresubstantially semicircular while the back rest may be suitably curved inan upward direction from the tables towards its centre.

The frame and/or under-frame of the .chair may similarly be in the mainformed of curved members.

Thus, for instance, there may be provided members functioning as legsextending downward and outward in a suitable curve, the members at thefront being connected with the member at the back by stretchers, one oneither side of the seat,

and from each of these stretchers there may be limbs of the X being,however, suitably curved and between the upper and lower limbs of suchportions there extend the upper portions of the legs to form staysterminating substantially at the level of the arm rests.

In the case of a chair for use in the open, the

seat itself may be formed of staves, for instance the staves of abarrel, the face of each of which is somewhat concave.

While, generally, the main portion of the frame and the stays will becurved and the table portions be substantially half circular members, incertain cases the form and shape of these elements may be modifiedprovided that the formation of the seat and the inclination of the backabove defined is retained.

One construction of chair in accordance with the invention isillustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure l is a front view in elevation of the chair,

Figure 2 is a plan view, and

Figure 3 is a view in section on the line III-III of Figure 1.

In the construction illustrated the seat is formed of a plurality ofstaves l, the upper surface of each of which is concave and the sideedges suitably bevelled so that when assembled they will form a seatwhich is concave and conforms with the internal surface of a cylindersubstantially two feet ten and a half inches in diameter and is definedby a chord of one foot ten inches, the minimum height of the seat fromthe ground level being sixteen inches and with the seat there isassociated a back rest 2 provided with a hollowed out portion 3 adaptedto conform with the back of an average individual when at rest orrelaxed so as to give asupport to the spine and the bones on each sideof the spline, for instance, the: shoulder blades or the ribs at theback of the person.

This back portion is given a rearward inclination relatively to thehorizontal of 110 and as will be seen from the drawing it is curved in:an upward direction to its centre from the level of the arm rests 4arranged at either side of the seat and constituting tables ofsubstantially semicircular form.

These arm rests may be arranged, as above stated, at a height of abouttwenty-three andra half inches from the ground level so that the arms ofa person using the seat may rest upon them so that the heads of both ofthe femurs will be supported upon the seat, the line of the spineremaining straight, or positioned radially with respect to the curvatureof the seat.

The members 5 functioning as legs are con! nected together by a frame 6of X-form, the limbs of which are suitably curved and between the upperand lower limbs of such portions there extend the upper portions of thelegs. With the stretchers 1 connecting the front legs with the rear legsare connected curved stays 8 extending upward substantially to the levelof the table portions 4, a member 9 connecting the upper ends of thesestays with side members It).

In the construction illustrated it will be seen that the staves l arehollowed or arranged to provide a surface inclining in an upward andforward direction to the front of the seat.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A chair or the like comprising a seat, the surface of which is concaveand conforms with the internal surface of a cylinder substantially twofeet ten and a half inches in diameter and is defined by a chord of onefoot ten inches, the

axis of which extends in a horizontal direction from the back to thefront of the seat, a back rest secured in fixed relation with the seatand inclined in a rearward direction at an inclination of 110 to thehorizontal, and connected with the seat, arm rests at a height such thatthe 7 arms of the person using the seat may bear upon the arm rests,with the heads of both of the femurs supported upon the seat and theline of the spine straight, each of said arm rests constituting a table,a frame in the form of an X arranged on its side and having curved limbscorresponding with the curvature of the seat secured to the frontportion of the seat, and a further member of like form secured to therear portion of the seat, legs extending outward in a curve from theseat and secured to the ends of the X-frames and providing adjacent totheir upper ends supports for the inner edges of the arm rests anddownward to provide portions adapted to bear upon the ground, astretcher extending between the legs on each of the two sides of theseat, and a stay extending in a curve upward from each of saidstretchers to support the outer edge of the arm rests.

FRANK WILLIAM CROSSLEY-HOLLAND.

